I knew it ! I knew it! I knew this was going to happen. I hate it when I am right. As I ran towards the sound of Bree screaming everything seemed intangible. Nothing that jabbed, scratched, or pricked me seemed to matter. Alll I could hear was Bree's screaming and the sound of my breathing. Time slowed down again like it had the night I was hit by that car. I felt like I was floating as I jumped over obstecales or ran through them. If Bree was killed during this venture I don't know what I would do. Would I be so mad with grief that I would sink into a deep hole of depression and lay down and die? Would I go completely mad and lose my humanity? I couldn't be sure...but I was determined to not let it happen...

My muscles ached and head throbbed from where I was savagely smacked with the butt of a gun. The Erasers were on me so fast I didn't have time pull out a gun of my own. If I had they would have all been dead...that I would have seen too. I let out a shrill bird cry and charged at Fox raking my nails across his face. I dodged one of his fists and clawed furiosly at his abdomen and then retreated before he could kick me. I was fairing well in this fight...I think. I just hoped that PC and Roc would hurry up and get here. I didn't know how long I could hold out.
" To bad I didn't get a chance to fight you that day. PC didn't put up as much of a fight as you."
" SHUT UP!" I snarled. I hated him...and I know that PC did even more than I. " Come and get me ,big boy!" Fox let out a howl and charged foward. I readied my nails and darted foward screaming like a banshee...

I recognized another one of Breeaka's calls. It was the sound she made when she was going to let a person have it. Stopped only for a moment and looked over my shoudler.
" ROC ! Hurry up!" I snapped.
" I am going as fast as I can!"
" Well run faster!" We ran a few moments longer until we finally reached our destination. I had stopped again just to observe what was going on . Bree was crumpled on the ground moaning, her clothes torn and some of her feathers scattered across the ground. Erasers were howling and laughing.
" Well that takes care of one," said Thresher.
" She's still alive ...she's too pretty to kill," Fox said licking blood off of his finger tips. " But Rancor says he doesn't need her...it's a pity." Fox cocked his gun and aimed it at Bree. This time I moved without hesitation. I yowled and sprang from my hiding place and slammed my foot into the side of his face. The gun was knocked off course and unloaded into the belly of a fellow Eraser. Fox spun around comically and fell to the ground the gun falling from his hands. Roc sprank from his hiding place too and tackled an Eraser that had come up behind me while I knelt down beside Bree. The whole pack was about to come down on us when Fox weakly held up his hand. I nudged Bree gently and her eyes fluttered open. She looked me and smiled but didn't say a word.
" Roc , protect Bree," I said my voice shaking. I approached Fox clenching and unclenching my fists. Fox was a mess Bree had defientely given him all she could dish out ...that's my girl. I kicked Fox in the stomach, "Get up!" I snarled. He coughed and gagged. I kicked him again, this time harder. " Getup and fight me!"
Fox chuckled and smiled up at me, " With pleasure... human!" Fox sprang up from the ground and pinned me instantly. The Erasers began to bark and howl again. Fox was incredibly heavy and stinky too. I brought up my feet and kicked in his maimed abodmen. He howled and rolled off. I got to my feet and began to circle. Fox slowly got to his feet and began to circle too. We launched ourselves at each other. Fox grabbed my arms and spun me around throwing me into the crowd of Erasers . A few caught me while the others fell on me threating to tear me to pieces. I broke away , my clothes torn and fresh wounds on my face and arms. The sky above us began to grow darker and a fresh rain began to fall. I looked at Fox, he was pacing with a morbid delight sparkling in his eyes. He was ready for this fight...he was ready for blood...and the funny thing is ...so was I...

I began to circle Fox again trying to stay calm ...because the look he was giving me was a bit unsettling. I would need to come at him hard to wipe that smile off his face. I tossed a quick glance over to Bree, she was my friend and I told her that she had my protection; we had been through too much together for me to fail her now. I stopped and waited for Fox to make the first punch. The Erasers were snarling and snapping their jaws they wanted a good fight and were growing impatient. We stared each other down for a moment or two. Fox then without warning charged toward Roc. I ran and leaped onto Fox's back and sunk my teeth into Fox's neck, drawing blood. Fox yelped and grabbed me by the hair and threw me onto the ground. He proceeded to try and crush me under his foot but I rolled away and got to my knees only to get smacked in the jaw. Fox tried another stomping attack which made contact and knocked the wind out of me. I didn't want to experience that again, so I rolled away once more and got to my feet which was not easy since the rain was turning to the dirt into mud. Next we began to throw punches and kicks. The crowd of Erasers whooped and hollered but I could tell they wanted something more. I kicked mud into Fox's face and whacked him across the face with my foot. He stumbled around trying to get the mud out of his eyes. I took advantage of his disability and scratched, bit, punched, and kicked him with all I had. Fox finally became wobbly and fell to his knees. It seemed impossible at first but now I thought I might actually win. BANG!...

I let out a tortured cry that sounded neither human nor animal as a bullet tore through my shoulder. I turned to face, Thresher who had shot me. I charged at him enraged making the same haunting cry when he shot me again, this time in the side. Overwhelmed by the pain, I crashed into the mud. I was still alive but I didn't know how long this would last. Fox had finally wiped the mud from his eyes and was now back on his feet, walking toward me.
"Stay...away," I warned.
Fox chuckled again and knelt down " You are truly pathetic...human...You may be easier on the eyes, but you paid a terrible price for this form...and now...your friends will die here and you...will be taken back to Lab 7 ...where you will be poked, prodded, cut up, sewn back together , until the day you die." Fox rose again and gave me a swift kick in the guts. Thresher tossed Fox his weapon and he once again approached Roc and Bree. Roc stood with Bree behind him.
"Don't come any closer," Roc said his voice shaking slightly.
Fox cocked his gun, "This will be over quick Greenwing." Roc moved to attack knocking Fox's weapon aside making it discharge into another Eraser. Fox roared and knocked Roc down and shot him in the leg. Roc cried out and curled into a tight ball on the ground clutching his leg. "I'll save you for last," Fox said and then aimed at Bree.
"NOOOOOO! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" I shouted struggling to get to my knees. My bones started to crack and rearrange. The pain was horrible compounded, by the two gunshot wounds I had sustained. Fox didn't seem to know what I was doing. Blood poured from my mouth, eyelids and under my nails. Muscles moved under my skin and my teeth became sharper. Finally the pain subsided and I was now an animal once more. My fur bristled and my claws buried themselves deep into the mud. I growled and hissed swishing my tail. " If you...hurt them anymore than you already have...I'll tear you apart"
"Is that so? Well then come and get me then!" Fox smiled. I roared loudly and charged forward on all fours...

Now you are probably thinking...how the HECK! was I able to survive a transformation with two gun shot wounds? After all I couldn't even stay conscious through the first one in the shower. Well...let's just say I was running on pure adrenaline and a whole bunch of anger. ...
When I crashed into Fox it wasn't like hitting a padded brick wall, it was more like hitting a pillow with a few bricks in the stuffing. My former strength had returned and I was able to cause more damage than I had before. Fox and I rolled around on the ground in a frenzy of mud, blood and fur. My mind was in a frenzy. It was difficult keeping my animal side from taking over...at this point I was starting not to care if I killed Fox or not. All I wanted was to keep the others safe, avenge our family and to get Roc to Gozbud. If it did mean I had to tear through Fox... I would do it. The thought spooked me as I was madly clawing at Fox and then I stopped myself. Fox was pinned under me and I was butchering him. He was a bloody mess covered in loose fur and mud. The sight of him made me sick I gave him one more blow and recoiled. What was the matter?...I didn't know myself...all I knew was that I was trembling. I sat on the ground staring stupidly at Fox. The Erasers were being worked into frenzy things could get out of hand. Fox looked defeated enough to me, he laid their limp on the ground, sides heaving. The morbid happiness he had in his eyes was gone. I couldn't tell what he was thinking…nor did I care. I crawled still trembling, away from him and over to Roc and Bree...

How could this happen? I am more powerful than he is. My strength tore him nearly limb from limb once. I can't fail this mission... I have almost lived as long as Ari until he was killed by Max... The same will not happen to me...But I don't have the strength to do it...But they...they do...yesss...

"Are you alright Roc?" I asked still approaching slowly.
"Fine enough," he replied, with one of his wings outstretched to shield Bree from the rain.
"Good." I looked at the Erasers that surrounded us they were still snarling and snapping awaiting Fox's command. For some reason I had become nervous again and froze only a few feet away.
"What's wrong?" Roc asked.
"HAVE AT THEM BOYS!" Fox roared. The Erasers howled and advanced on me and Roc. I dove at them still relying on my cocktail of adrenaline and rage. But it didn't last. Roc and I fought the best we could...but needless to say we were getting trashed. The Erasers got me on the ground and started to play soccer with me...which thanks to that I will never play the sport. I broke a few of their legs only to get socked in the jaw and my ankle bitten and then snapped. I locked for Roc among the mayhem and he surprised me. He was doing quite well for someone who had been shot in the leg. I collapsed on the ground... I was done. But still the Erasers found pleasure in tearing at me with their claws some more. I would have been puree if it weren't for what happened next. A tree trunk came flying out of no where and smashed into the Erasers attacking me. Suddenly I could hear more and more Erasers were being crushed by enormous projectiles. Then I heard a thunderous roar, one that I recognized. Everything was going dark, I was loosing a lot of blood. But I was fighting to stay conscious. I got a glimpse of one of my greatest allies...Gozbud...

You know...you should never take your friends for granted,because one of these days they might just be the one that can save your sorry butt in a time of crisis...Gozbud, I was happy to see the old reptile, although I think I would have preferred a time when I was in less pain. With his arrival I felt a little bit of energy return to my limbs and I hurled myself at an eraser. Soon the fight began to escelate. Gozbud is just what we needed and for a moment I felt that things were going to turn out alright. The ground was littered with eraser carcasses it was hard to believe that Roc and I had taken out so many. Then I heard a hoarse howl, which was the answer to our prayers. The remaining members of the squad were backing off. I was beginning to relax. As soon as they were gone I could collapse and curl up into a ball of agony. Roc looked relieved too and Gozbud roared and slapped his tail on the ground. The rain was now beginning to fade as well as if it had been tied to the events that had taken place. I saw two Erasers help Fox off the ground and I must admit I was happy watching him limp away...he got what he deserved and I was glad that I was the one to give it to him. Ohhhh if you only the knew the irony. But I should know that erasers never appear and take nothing with them. It all happened in a split second. Fox whirled around and darted towards Bree, pushing passed Roc like he was nothing. I roared angrily as Fox held Bree in his mangled hands with that strange satisfaction in his eye. Rage boiled in my veins and I lunged foward to break into a run but fell on my face. My body had ,had it...it told me that not matter how strong my will it wasn't going to work for me. Snarling I crawled toward Fox and grabbed him by the ankle. He effortlessly shook me off and kicked me in the face. Gozbud began to advance on Fox but he quickly retreated, knowing that even though he was powerful , Gozbud was not fast enough to catch him.
"BREEEEE!" I shouted. "GIVE HER BACK!" I struggled to get up. Roc limped over and held me back.
"Stop it PC! Your going to bleed to death!" Gozbud exclaimed. He was right. I was struggling in a froth of mud and my own blood. I roared. I roared for so long it seemed like an eternity. Then when I couldn't roar anymore ...I cried and then I finally blacked out...

Life and death situations really shake you up. You discover the strength you thought you never had and side of yourself that scares you. I'm sure everyone feels that way. If not than I am pretty narrow minded aren't I...

I stared up at Gozbud. He was huge! The biggest intelligent thing I had ever seen on two legs. He had two hard muscled, oversized arms, with webbing between his fingers. Gozbud had an alligator's head only his eyes were not on the sides of his head, but forward facing like a human. He had large webbed feet with a large claw poking out of each toe. Gozbud's most intimidating feature besides his size and sharp teeth was his tail. It was long and was looked extremely powerful.
He looked down at me with grim emerald colored eyes. "You must Roc, I presume?"
"Yeah," I said feeling a little dizzy. I was slightly afraid of Gozbud but at the same time I felt perfectly safe.
"Don't be afraid I'm not going to eat you." he said kneeling down. " Let me take a look at your leg." He examined it with an expert eye.
"Are you a doctor ?" I asked.
Gozbud snorted "I'm an intern ...or was anyway. Come on. My shelter isn't to far from here I need to get you both patched up." With out warning Gozbud picked me up and held me under one arm while carrying PC under the other. What Gozbud said was true; his shelter wasn't too far away. It was an underground one like Bree's but it was bigger and area around it didn't smell like raw sewage…..

Once we were inside Gozbud place me down on the ground and quickly bandaged my wounded leg.
"I'll be back to treat you. But PC needs more attention than you do. You understand."
I nodded and watched Gozbud disappear into a large room with PC in tow. He was in there a long time and I was beginning to worry not only about PC but myself...I wasn't feeling to hot and I cursed my inability to completely regenerate. Then finally the door open. Gozbud came out with a bloody apron on and some severely over stretched latex gloves.
"Is he going to be okay?" I asked.
"I don't know." he said sitting down in a chair. "Only time will tell. Come over here. I can take care of you now." As Gozbud tended to my wounds I found it hard to believe that he wasn't a real doctor, he had all the makings of one. In my opinion. I always wondered how was able to work with such large hands and it turned out that he worked using his claws, not fingers. A couple of days went by and I had persuaded Gozbud to let me outside in the sun, which helped me heal. As I sat outside in the sun it seemed like our clash with Fox never happened. But then I remembered Bree being taken away and how PC looked when he couldn't go after her. I shuttered at the thought and went back inside the shelter. I found Gozbud sitting in a chair beside PC with a heavy book in his lap.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Reading," Gozbud said. I sat down and looked over at PC, who had an IV in his arm and a blood bag on the other end.
"There is such a thing as a mutant blood transfusion?" I said.
Gozbud smiled " We all assumed that one of these days we would meet an eraser and get the snot kicked out of us. If anyone got the crap kicked out of them the most it was PC."
"He looks like somebody came at him with a chainsaw," I commented.
"might as well...with all those scars he has."
"What happened to him?" I asked, knowing I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong ,but I was curious.
"That is a long story...and I don't really think you would want to hear it."
" I think you should tell me...because I don't think he will ."
Gozbud smiled. " You're right he won't. Very well."...

I got comfortable in the chair I sat in. I could tell this was probably going to be long.
"Now, Roc did you know parents?"
"No...I spent most of my life in Lab 7 and I don't remember anything before that."
"PC, knew his parents and they were the ones that sent him to Lab 7." Like I told Gozbud I had never known my parents, but one thing was for sure, me and many of the other mutants wanted to have them. Parents to us were like angels...the good people you could go to and that they could protect you from anything and do no wrong.
"Why?"
"No one knows. Not even PC knows...its a question to this day that goes unanswered and when he was first brought to Lab 7. That question nearly drove him mad."
"Did you all live together in the same room?" I asked.
"Yes, we spent a lot of time together, so our group became very close. PC was the most enigmatic of the group. He never talked about what the Whitecoats were doing to him nor did he EVER talk about his life before Lab 7. When he was first brought there, PC would be gone for days at a time; we would often hear him screaming for hours at a time too. But when we asked about what happened PC never said a word. We all had a guess at what caused him so much pain. PC's transformation into what he is now didn't occur over night. The change was gradual and I can imagine it was painful. It was difficult for us listen to and to watch as a normal teenager slowly became the creature he is now."

"I can only imagine, I guess." I said." We eventually got to know more about PC after his transformation. But still of all of us , Breeaka was the one that PC seemed open up to more."
"I see. How did you all escape from Lab 7? Everyone talks about it. You guys are famous for that besides Maximum Ride, who escaped from the School." I said.
"It was tricky. PC, Bree, and Fox were the main masterminds behind that whole operation."
"Fox? You mean that psychotic eraser?" Gozbud nodded his head "That's right. At the time, Fox and PC were what you would call friends. He gave us valuable information about the facility since he could roam around more freely than we could. Everything was going according to plan until the day we were going to escape. Information had leaked about our plan and we almost didn't make it. But thankfully we learned to think on our feet and everyone made it except for PC or Fox.
Now as you know, when you try to escape and fail you get a few slaps on the wrist and get tossed back into a cage. But the Whitecoats were not as merciful towards PC or Fox. Fox was a lab employee at the time, but he was turned into an eraser as a punishment for helping us as for PC he was going to be executed.
Meanwhile we had gotten as far away as we could from Lab 7. Everyone had accepted the fact that, PC and Fox were gone. But Breeaka she wouldn't have it. She was the only one with enough courage to return to Lab 7 and get them back. PC's punishment was to be eaten …by erasers."
"That's terrible," I said repulsed.
"Terrible, doesn't even describe it. When Bree returned to us with PC, he looked worse than he does now. Putting him back together was the most difficult operation I have ever done—"
"And…that-is the story of my life…in a nut shell," a voice said. My head shot towards the direction of the voice. PC sat up in bed and he looked very angry.

" You shouldn't be up," Gozbud said only half suprised...if there is such a thing all I know is that I was completely.
" I know I shouldn't be, because I hurting right now. But I couldn't help hearing your little conversation echoing in my subconcious," PC replied. Those red eyes ARE CREEPY!...
" You'll get over it," Gozbud said crossing his arms.
PC growled and mimiced Gozbud by crossing his arms." You'll get over it."
" Stop it," Gozbud warned.
" Stop it," PC replied in the same tone.
" PC I'm warning you."
" PC I'm warning you."
Gozbud slapped his tail on the ground " You're acting like a-a"
" a-a-a WHAT!" PC snapped.
" You're acting like a child! Playing copy cat!"
" HA! If it were any other day, Gozbud, I would kick your butt. "
" What's stopping you ?"
" Do I need to answer that?"
" No."
" Good. Roc."
" Yeah?"
" Can you excuse us for a few minutes?"
" Sure I guess."
" Don't Guess. MOVE!" PC growled. I knew better than to argue. So I slowly back away and left the room and closed the door behind me.